# 119-hr-59: Mens Rea Reform Act of 2025

119-hr-59, Mens Rea Reform Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5] (R-AZ); status in_committee (as of 2026-05-29).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-59
- As of: 2026-05-29
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-59
- Congress: 119
- Title: Mens Rea Reform Act of 2025
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-01-03
- Sponsor: Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5] (R-AZ)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-05-29

## Summary

**Creates a uniform default mens rea (state-of-mind) rule for most federal crimes and regulatory violations that lack an explicit mental-state requirement.** It would generally require the government to prove a defendant acted "knowingly" for any element where the statute or regulation is silent, while spelling out exceptions, definitions, and limits on retroactive effect. - Defendants: Would raise the mental-state the government must prove in many prosecutions. For elements without a specified state of mind prosecutors would need to prove "knowingly" beyond a reasonable doubt. - Prosecutors and federal agencies: Would force clearer pleading and proof about mental states for covered offenses. The rule applies to offenses punishable by imprisonment or a maximum fine of at least $2,500 and includes regulatory offenses incorporated into federal law. - Courts and pending cases: Would define terms such as "willfully" and set a rule that a stated mental state applies to all elements unless Congress plainly intended otherwise. It also limits retroactivity for past conduct and for prosecutions already underway.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Rep. Ogles, Andrew [R-TN-5] (R-TN), 2025-01-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Roy, Chip [R-TX-21] (R-TX), 2025-01-09T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- New default intent rules in federal crimes: mixed, high. If enacted, this would set default rules for criminal intent in federal crimes. For any crime part with no mental state listed, prosecutors would have to prove you acted knowingly. If a crime names a mental state but not where it applies, that state would cover all parts unless the law clearly says…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9200: Secure the Border Act of 2026
- 119-hr-6225: PAUSE Act of 2025
- 119-hr-21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
- 119-hr-317: Healthcare Freedom Act of 2025
- 119-hr-116: Stopping Border Surges Act
- 119-hr-7651: Chloe Cole Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-hr-59 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/59)

## Related
- [119-hr-9200: Secure the Border Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9200)
- [119-hr-6225: PAUSE Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6225)
- [119-hr-21: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-21)
- [119-hr-317: Healthcare Freedom Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-317)
- [119-hr-116: Stopping Border Surges Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-116)
- [119-hr-7651: Chloe Cole Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7651)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-59 (as of 2026-05-29).